<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>infinite paths by MavenMorozova</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25929349">infinite paths</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MavenMorozova/pseuds/MavenMorozova'>MavenMorozova</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>tlc ship weeks 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer, Star Wars - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Angst, Break Up, Drabble, Drabble Collection, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Heavy Angst, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Self-Esteem Issues, Short One Shot, The Lunar Chronicles Ship Weeks, cresswell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:21:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,979</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25929349</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MavenMorozova/pseuds/MavenMorozova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>one shots for Cresswell week 2020!<br/>all one shots in this collection are rated t!</p><p>ch1: imperfection (perfect)<br/>ch2: smugglers &amp; slicers (star wars au)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carswell Thorne &amp; Han Solo, Crescent Moon "Cress" Darnel &amp; Carswell Thorne, Crescent Moon "Cress" Darnel/Carswell Thorne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>tlc ship weeks 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884253</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. imperfection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>day 7 prompt: perfect</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Cress often feels lost alone in the dark, struggling with something to hold on to. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re not pretty enough,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she tells herself.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Why would Thorne ever want to be with you?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re far too skinny, and you’re far too short as well. You look like a child.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re naive, you’re stupid, you’re a failure.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re nothing next to any of the other girls in the galaxy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And though she knows that it’s wrong to compare herself with them, to constantly berate herself, she can’t help it. And it especially doesn’t help when Thorne is constantly flirting with anyone or anything he can lay his eyes on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It hurts to let him go, but she knows that she has to do it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re perfect just the way you are,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he once told her, and she knows this is true. But perhaps it cannot be so when she’s with him all the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe you just need a break,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Cinder said after that. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Everything happened so fast. There’s nothing wrong with having some time to yourself</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cress had nodded at her, chest and throat tightening. How easily the tears always seem to come. And how easily they are wiped away by Thorne’s soothing hands and soft caresses. She adores that side of him, but is it enough?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cries when she tells him that she is moving on. Seeing him broken like that, hands covering his eyes, body shaking with sobs, Cress begins to cry too, and somehow, they end up kissing again, just like always. It is a temporary solution, a small bandage on a large wound. She wants them to work, but not with his lack of commitment. They love each other, but is love enough?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cress thought, in all those years trapped alone in her satellite, that Thorne was a being of heroism and bravery. She was almost wrong, but she ended up being right in the end. Thorne </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>a hero.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thought all she would need was a bit of love, sensual touches from another human’s hand, kisses and lips and promises and shared breaths. But it turns out that time is worth so much more.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m sorry, Carswell, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she whispers. And she is. She is truly sorry that they aren’t perfect after all. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe one day...</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>comments and kudos are always appreciated!!</p><p>the reason why i wrote a Cresswell breakup in this fic is not because of the age gap or whatever, but because i think that although they have this magnetic attraction at first, i don't think it's the kind of relationship that would last forever. but who knows`\_(o.o)_/` that's just my headcanon</p><p>and don't worry! the rest of the one shots here will definitely be less sad for them</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. smugglers & slicers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Thorne, a longtime smuggling rival of Han Solo, and Cress, a skilled slicer whose Jedi mother was killed when she was little, have always had a peculiar sort of relationship. Friends with benefits, you might say. But it's clear that both of them have caught feelings.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>for tlc fans who don't know star wars: slicer = hacker</p>
<p>day 5 prompt: change the universe (alternate setting)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Captain Carswell Thorne wasn’t a really Captain, not in the eyes of the Empire’s military, at least. But then again, he’d never been a </span>
  <em>
    <span>military </span>
  </em>
  <span>person. The Force had smiled down at him and told him that he was destined to be a smuggler, and, well...here he was, right in the middle of a rivalry of one of the galaxy’s best: Han Solo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Neither he nor Han would admit it, but they engaged in a friendly competition based on their criminal records, and though Han was constantly in trouble with Jabba the Hutt, he considered that a point of pride in his record. Thorne did not, unimpressed by the fact that apparently, Han wasn’t good enough at his job.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was the kind of banter they shared, and they enjoyed it immensely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although Thorne rarely wished to admit it, most of his smuggling successes </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually </span>
  </em>
  <span>came from his partner Cress Darnel, a skilled slicer that could hack into the nav systems of other ships, which put them at a definite advantage, not to mention that she’d gotten them out of some serious near-scuffles with Imperial officers. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost </span>
  </em>
  <span>as valuable as having a Jedi on board the ship, except that it was even better, because a Jedi wouldn’t be willing to kiss him at every free moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cress and Thorne would have acknowledged that they were more than friends, but they were too good at their respective occupations, and they barely had time to actually sit down and discuss feelings. Thorne balked at the thought. He’d seen Cress attempt to bring it up once, before they were caught in the middle of a volley of fire from Imperial starships—which, to be fair, hadn’t been aimed at them—but the situation had been serious enough that she’d had to focus on the task of getting them into hyperspace safely, and the topic hadn’t been brought up since.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Either way, both of them were content with kissing and making out on occasion between smuggling missions, perhaps smashed into a corner of their little ship, or otherwise in the cockpit. That was always fun. And no emotions or feelings had been involved since, or at least they liked to pretend that this was true.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the moment, they were headed towards a cold icy planet, where they were planning to meet the infamous Han Solo once again, this time not in competition, but working together to complete a mission. It wasn’t Thorne’s ideal job, but they needed the money, and it was something that Cress would be able to do easily. All she needed was to slice into the Toydarians’ royal coffers and unlock it so that Han and his crew could get through, with Thorne on the lookout. Thorne himself had a feeling that Cress was haughtily aware of her importance in this mission, for she wore a slight smile on her pale face with drawn-back shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hadn’t always been this way. Once, Cress had been withdrawn and jittery, but years of jobs with an infamous smuggler and previously several noteworthy spicelords had done the trick to get her out of her shell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It certainly hadn’t helped that Cress had been abandoned by her parents, either. She’d told Thorne that her mother was a Jedi who’d fallen in love with one of Coruscant’s high-ranking doctors, and when the Jedi Council had found out about her pregnancy, they’d asked her to leave the Order. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It was probably a good thing she did,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Cress had added with a painful smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Otherwise, she would have been wiped out with the rest</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just after Cress had been born, however, the Republic had fallen. Cress didn’t know much about it from what her mother had told her, but she did know at least that when she was nine, her mother had been killed by one of the Inquisitors. They hadn’t killed Cress, though, for she had not inherited her mother’s Force-sensitivity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After that, she’d been part of several gangs before finally joining up with Thorne when they were both in their late teens. Five years later, they still were working together, a good rapport built between them, laced with the ever-present romantic tension that fluttered through the air of the Rampion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cress, you ready?” Thorne called from the cockpit, trying to clear his head of the distracting memories.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Captain!” she called back from where she was entangled in the holoscreen tech controls. “Just send over the coordinates and I’ll track the lock’s signal once we’re in range!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded before remembering that she wouldn’t be able to see him. “Approaching the atmosphere!” He tapped his fingers on the holopad to his right, copying and pasting the coordinates that pinpointed their target’s location. Cress emerged from her enclave and strapped herself in for landing, a holopad in her hands. “I’ll check the coordinates you sent in a minute,” she said, lips lifting slightly. Thorne felt his stomach flip a little at her expression, but he tried not to let it show on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They entered the Toydarian atmosphere smoothly, the tight feeling unwinding from Thorne’s stomach as he piloted the Rampion down to the surface. He could faintly make out the shape of the Millenium Falcon waiting for them on the foggy earth below. It was a small comfort, but also good to know that Han was still </span>
  <em>
    <span>attempting </span>
  </em>
  <span>to keep up his side of the deal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, they landed, the ship’s thrusters engaging without a hitch. Letting out a quick breath, Thorne unbuckled himself and rose from his seat, offering out his hand to Cress. “Are you ready?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes. “Carswell. I’ve been doing this sort of thing for over ten years. You still don’t trust me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His hand hung out in the air awkwardly, and it was a relief when she finally took it with a shy smile. “I just wanted…” Thorne trailed off as he pulled Cress to her feet. What had he wanted? If his feeling for her were real, they probably weren’t reciprocated. Besides, after that one time when they’d first met, stuck in the sandy Jakkuvian deserts. He’d been nineteen and she sixteen, both young and stupid despite their years of experience in their respective fields.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Captain</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Cress had whispered in her obvious delirium, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think I’m in love with you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He’d laughed then, and they’d never entertained the thought since, excepting perhaps that mishap with the Imperial navy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now, five years later, Thorne still wasn’t sure where they stood. But now was not the time to reminisce! He repeated that mantra in his head over and over until it was stuck there as they readied themselves to meet Han Solo’s crew.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Holopad, check. Water, check. Blasters and extra ammunition, check. The simple task wasn’t nearly enough to distract him from the way that Cress’s blonde hair caught the silver lights of the Rampion though, of the way it seemed to glow in an out-of-place, yet beautiful way when they stepped outside into the muddy landscape.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thorne realized that he was staring, and quickly looked straight ahead, but not before he saw Cress’s eyes widen and color rise to her cheeks. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he set his eyes on Han Solo, holding out a hand when they were standing before each other. Han took it with a lazy grin, stance cocked to one side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Carswell Thorne. How nice to see you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thorne grinned. “Long time no see.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Beside him, Cress let out a small noise, her unintrusive way of saying that they didn’t have much time. Thorne looked over at her and back to Han, still smiling. “Han, this is my partner-in-crime, Cress Darnel.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shifted uncomfortably as Han’s eyes roved over her small frame, one eyebrow raised as he did so. “Aren’t you a bit young for this sort of job?” Han asked, clearly unimpressed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cress’s smooth face creased slightly, and she flushed with embarrassment. “Well—I’m actually, um...I’m just short,” she finished with a little squeak. Thorne watched as she let out a sigh and tried again. “I’m actually twenty-one. I’ve been a slicer for eleven years.” He heard a hint of pride in her voice as she said it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Han did a double-take, hands falling from his pockets. “Well, then, welcome aboard, my lady.” His tone was almost, just </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost</span>
  </em>
  <span>, sarcastic, and Thorne felt a tinge of annoyance. Was he flirting with her? Did it even matter, since they weren’t in an official relationship?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head to clear it. “Let’s get going, yeah?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Han smirked, and Thorne wanted to punch him. But they would have to work together if they wanted this to work, so he smoothed his features, trying to mask his irritation with a pleasant mask. Everything would go fine, they’d get paid, and be back in hyperspace on the Rampion in no time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After all, Cress was the best slicer in the galaxy, as he often said to her self-deprecating embarrassment. As they headed towards the palace tunnels, Thorne impulsively gave her a brief kiss on the lips, and her face froze for a moment before she relaxed. This was all normal. They were good. Everything was fine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That’s what he wanted to believe, anyway. They couldn’t hide their feelings forever.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good luck, Captain,” Cress said as he and Han continued on. Thorne nodded, chest tightening. He saw her smile adorably and turn back towards the dim light of the Toydarian day as he headed into the catacombs, her fingers beginning to fly across the holo. “May the Force be with you, Cress.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hope you enjoyed! comments are always appreciated. this was a lot of fun to write lol</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>